Good morning. It's Monday, Oct. 18, and we're covering a mass kidnapping in Haiti, the start of a long-awaited trial in Georgia, and much more. Have feedback? Let us know at [email protected].
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At least 17 missionaries were kidnapped by Haitian gangs near the country's capital of Port-au-Prince early Saturday morning, according to reports. Five children were said to be included in the abduction. The group, Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries, was returning from an orphanage en route to the country's airport.
Security in Haiti has dramatically declined in recent years under the watch of former President Jovenel Moïse, a trend accelerated by Moïse's assassination in July. Gangs have rapidly expanded their influence in the power vacuum, controlling at least half of the capital city by some estimates.
The country has seen an explosion of kidnapping-for-ransom cases, representing 10% of all such crimes in the Americas despite having less than 1% of the region's population. As of this morning, a demand for the group's release had not been released; US officials said they were working to establish communications with the kidnappers.
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Ahmaud Arbery Trial Begins
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Jury selection begins today in the murder trial of Ahmaud Arbery, one of a number of high-profile killings that fueled nationwide racial justice protests throughout 2020. Gregory McMichael, his son Travis McMichael, and their neighbor, William Bryan, face charges including murder and assault.
Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, was killed last February while out running, according to his family (see timeline). The suspects, who were armed, say they believed he was involved in a series of home robberies in the area and chased him in vehicles to confront him. The unarmed Arbery was killed while struggling with the younger McMichael.
No charges were made until last May, when a video of the shooting surfaced and went viral. See a legal analysis of the footage and how it connects to the charges here (warning—video contains graphic content, please use discretion).
The suspects are expected to argue they were attempting a citizen's arrest and acted in self-defense.
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A British lawmaker was killed Friday after being stabbed by an attacker during a constituent meeting in the town of Leigh-on-Sea, about 50 miles east of London. Sir David Amess, a member of the Conservative Party, had served the area in parliament for nearly four decades.
The suspect, 25-year-old Ali Harbi Ali, was taken into custody; officials said they are investigating the attack as an act of terrorism. Ali was previously referred to the country's Prevent program (see overview), an effort meant to intervene in those susceptible to radicalization, though no formal investigation was carried out.
Amess was the second member of parliament killed in the past five years. Labour Party member Jo Cox was shot and stabbed to death in public ahead of constituent meetings. Cox's attacker, Thomas Mair, was said to be motivated by white nationalism.
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Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
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> Advisory panel recommends a booster shot of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, without restrictions (More) | See current US COVID-19 stats here (More)
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> Sources say the Securities and Exchange Commission will allow trading of Bitcoin exchange-traded funds as early as this week, as Bitcoin passes $60K for the first time since April (More)
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> The Islamic State claims credit for a mosque bombing in the Afghan city of Kandahar that killed at least 47 people and injured dozens more (More) | More on the Taliban and the Islamic State (More)
> Biden administration says it will reinstate the Trump-era "Remain in Mexico" policy in mid-November, complying with a court order (More) | Move comes amid the largest surge in border encounters in two decades (More)
> Former President Bill Clinton released from hospital after a six-day stay; Clinton was reportedly treated for a urinary tract infection that spread to his bloodstream (More)
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